A University's Closest Friends
Who are college counselors? They are a university's closest friends. This is a concise definition for the professional who has the task of guiding high school students towards choosing the university where they will continue their studies. In Italy a teacher is generally delegated to the role, while outside Italy there is often a professional specifically dedicated to the position. Counselors are also points of contact for universities when organizing guidance and recruitment events at high schools. They are therefore an important demographic.
Since 2012, Bocconi University has invited around 30 counselors to campus each year. While the event was not held in 2020, this year it took place remotely, so the number of participants could increase significantly. 111 college counselors from 35 countries all over the world participated in the Virtual Counselor Fly-In. It was held on the afternoons of 6 and 7 May, with a full schedule, including workshops (Leadership Workshop: "Invisible Leadership: Skills for the new normal," Massimo Magni; Strategy Workshop: "Introduction to Business Strategy," Charles Wiliams; International Politics Workshop: "Sustainability in the Flesh: Discussing the role of government, companies, and sectors in between to address current societal challenges," Valentina Mele), a virtual tour of Milan, an overview of admissions procedures, information on fees, funding and housing, a virtual campus tour and, finally, a meeting with ambassador students divided by program.
"These are key figures in the relations between universities and high schools," says Stefano Caselli, Dean for International Affairs at Bocconi, "and in my opinion there are two things that should be emphasized. The first is that we need to have an open dialogue with them, given the increasing importance that the choice of university is taking on for talented students from all over the world. The second is the high number of counselors attending this event is a testament to Bocconi's increasing international visibility. And they also need to get to know more about us in order to do their jobs well."